EMBRACING FAILURE

This story is about a path I feared to tread - the path of failure. I believed failure was something to be avoided at all costs. Until I was forced to face my mentor, a guiding light in my life, and apologize for a failed business venture that he had invested in.

Approaching my mentor to admit the venture’s failure felt like stepping into an unforgiving blizzard. Every word of apology was a shiver, every moment a confrontation with the cold reality of my situation. It was a chilling realization, not just of having to apologize, but of my own confrontation with what I once feared the most – of being a failure.

However, learning from 4D University, I had experienced that there was no lack, and thus no fear. I began to write a letter to my mentor.

The process of writing the letter was a journey in itself, a two day long process that tested my devotion. As I began to put words to paper, my ego sprang to life, crafting excuses after excuses, and creating delusions of false assurances. It urged me to skirt around the edges of truth, to paint a picture far from the reality of the situation.

But as the minutes turned into hours and days, I continued to write from my heart. With each word, I chipped away at the lies and defenses of my ego. The confrontation was intense – every sentence a step towards humility, every paragraph a deeper dive into honesty and vulnerability. Admitting the failure of the venture, acknowledging the loss of my mentor’s significant investment, and confronting my own shortcomings was like navigating through my deepest self-doubt and fear.

After I had sent it, he immediately responded with a heartfelt message of support and compassion. Then it dawned on me that failure, the very thing I worked so hard to avoid, was not a dark bottomless pit, but rather a passage into freedom. It was not the end of the road but a bend that led to new understandings and growth.

Through the apology, I learned that failure, much like a stern teacher, holds lessons of resilience, adaptability, and the true essence of success. It taught me that the path to wisdom and personal growth often winds through the valleys of setbacks and challenges.

I stand, no longer fearing failure but embracing it as a part of my journey.